


Ladies' Night

by EntreNous



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Card Games, Episode: s01e07 Charlie X, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Girls' Night, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-12
Updated: 2016-01-12
Packaged: 2018-05-13 10:47:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5704804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EntreNous/pseuds/EntreNous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Uhura can see the hesitation flicker over Janice's face, so she adds, "You deserve to have a nice evening, especially after -- well, after that awful business with Charlie Evans."</i>  Or, Janice isn't quite herself, and Uhura is determined to make her happy again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ladies' Night

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt Uhura/Rand and "bets/wagers".

After the Thasians take Charlie Evans away, to everyone's relief everything on the Enterprise goes back to the way it was before. 

Every last phaser is restored, Sam Ellis returns with his trademark grin to assist Head Nurse Christine Chapel in sickbay, and Tina Lawton resumes her yeoman duties while spending every spare moment studying for Starfleet Academy's entrance exam. Well, Tina does start ordering beautifully complicated salads in the mess hall. But that seems the only after-effect the young woman experiences from "the whole iguana thing," as Tina says cheerfully when Uhura asks. 

Yet even with everyone else back to their typical responsibilities and pastimes, Uhura can't help but notice that Janice Rand acts a little quieter, a little more guarded. She does her job admirably, just like always, and she still heads to the recreation rooms when she's off duty. But she keeps to herself more, sometimes staring at a PADD instead of sitting with the others. And she's much slower to smile when Uhura teases her or Doctor McCoy makes wry jokes. 

"Did you see? Your favorite perfume got restocked finally! I spotted it in the ship's stores, and I wanted to tell you right away," Uhura tells her excitedly one evening. "I almost bought it for you just to make sure you got one." At this point, she's on the hunt for anything to make Janice happy. 

"Oh! Well. Funny thing, but I don't much like the scent of that brand anymore," Janice answers. And before Uhura can ask about the sudden change, she quickly excuses herself and returns to her quarters.

"Pink roses," Uhura offers with a smile several days later as soon as Janice answers her knock at her door. "I thought of you right away when I saw them!" There had been a brief stopover at Seginus Prime, and only a few of the officers had gotten leave to visit the nearest marketplace. Though she had intended to shop for dresses to wear during her off-duty hours, instead Uhura made a beeline for a flower vendor with a beautiful display of blooms. She had haggled quickly but still ended up paying far too many credits for the bouquet, all because she felt certain that Janice loved those particular flowers.

This time Janice looks positively pained for a second. She quickly covers the unhappy expression with a smile, but it doesn't reach her eyes the way her brash grins usually do. 

"It's so kind of you," Janice says, her voice slightly hoarse. "But would you mind holding onto them instead? I think I have a touch of an allergy to roses just now. Probably temporary."

"Of course," Uhura murmurs as the door slides shut in her face.

***~*~*~***

"Have you noticed that Janice still seems shaken after all that happened while Charlie Evans was on the ship?" Uhura impulsively asks Christine Chapel one morning over breakfast in the mess. "She doesn't seem herself at all."

Christine looks thoughtful before she spoons up more of her hot cereal. "She is a bit more subdued, now that you mention it."

"I've tried all sorts of things to make her feel better," Uhura says in a rush. "Perfume, flowers -- I even tried to share some of my Belgian chocolate with her recently, but she never showed up at the recreation room that day. Nothing seems to work."

Oddly, Christine looks like she's trying not to smile. "I think it probably means a great deal to her that you care enough to notice how she's doing," she says warmly. "She just needs time to sort through everything. After all, she didn't only briefly disappear like the others Charlie targeted -- she had to put up with him following her around, behaving like a menace, protesting that he loved her."

Uhura nods, staring at her mostly empty plate. "You're right, of course. I shouldn't push."

"Still, there's nothing to say you can't try to help her along a little. Why not suggest a ladies' night, a few card games?" Christine suggests. "It sounds like so far you've been trying to surprise her. But maybe if she knows in advance that she has a chance to relax, she'll be better prepared to let her guard down."

Uhura sits up and smiles widely. "What a marvelous idea! You're free on Tuesday evenings, aren't you?"

"Indeed I am," Christine answers slowly. "But wouldn't you rather --"

"And I'll ask Yeomen Lawton and Tamura! And Lieutenant Commander Masters from Engineering!" Uhura gathers her breakfast tray hurriedly, already rising from her seat. "I better get started right away."

"Well, it sounds a little more crowded than what I was considering, but a lovely evening otherwise," Christine says dryly. 

As she rushes away, Uhura is positive Christine's hiding a smile behind her mug of coffee. But there's no time to quiz her on it; Uhura has to wrangle everyone's schedules to make sure that this ladies' night happens.

***~*~*~***

"I don't know," Janice hedges when Uhura finally catches up to her sitting alone in a recreation room.

"Won't you please come?" Uhura pleads, leaning forward in her seat. "I'd love for you to have a chance to unwind. And it's going to be a fantastic group of women, but it would be so much better if you joined us." Uhura can see the hesitation flicker over Janice's face, so she adds, "You deserve to have a nice evening, especially after -- well, after that awful business with Charlie Evans."

Janice shakes her head, and at first Uhura's heart sinks. But then Janice says slowly, "You'll probably think it's silly. But little things keep reminding me --" She shudders. "I suppose when you said there would be a card game, I remembered his creepy gimmick with the cards, putting my picture on their faces."

Uhura almost flinches; she'd forgotten Charlie's weird parlor trick. But then she sits up straight and says fiercely, "Maybe he had frightening powers, but in the end, Charlie Evans was just an unpleasant little boy throwing tantrums. You should certainly do whatever you need to feel better. But I hope in the end that he won't ruin everything you enjoy."

Janice looks surprised, but then a smile spreads across her lips. It's small but real, and it makes her blue eyes shine. "All right. I'll come."

And when Uhura impetuously squeezes her hand, she smiles even more.

***~*~*~***

Ladies' Night is an enormous success.

Yeoman Keiko Tamura easily breaks the ice at the start of the party, regaling them all with the hilarious story of how she took down a lumbering, cantankerous alien on her last mission. Charlene Masters proves a deft dealer, shuffling the cards and passing them out so adroitly that everyone breaks out into applause the first time she does it. Tina turns out to have the best poker face, looking positively sweet and wide-eyed just before she calls everyone's bluff or shows hands that leave the rest of them groaning. And Christine smiles kindly at all the other guests, even as her ruthless strategizing makes the other players boggle more than once.

Through it all, Janice dives in with her usual spirit, joking with the others, grinning when she wins, complaining good-naturedly when she doesn't. She's seated next to Uhura, and several times between rounds they lean together, speaking in low tones and trading private jokes. Once or twice when Christine coughs at their giggling, Uhura remembers belatedly that she ought to be a better hostess, divide her attention among all the guests. But none of the others seem to mind; they easily turn to each other and chat, leaving Uhura and Janice to themselves. And truth be told, Christine doesn't seem to mind either; she just beams at Uhura and Janice whenever they get absorbed in each other. 

A few hours later, Janice looks so much happier that Uhura can't help but smile, resolving to thank Christine profusely for the idea.

Yes, everything goes swimmingly -- up until the point Uhura excuses herself to use the bathroom. 

When she returns, smoothing down her skirt, it's to see that Charlene and Keiko waving at her from the corridor outside just as the door slides shut. Tina is nowhere to be seen, and Christine is moving the table they had gathered around back at its usual spot in the corner.

"What's all this?" Uhura asks. 

Sitting on the couch, Janice looks just as bewildered as Uhura feels. 

"Oh, some of us need to make an early night of it," Christine says briskly. "You two stay and enjoy yourselves, though!"

Before Uhura can say anything else, Christine gives them one last wave before sweeping out of the room. 

"Well, I'm so sorry everyone else rushed off!" Uhura exclaims. "It's the strangest end to a ladies' night I've ever seen. But I hope you'll stay a little longer?" 

"Of course I will," Janice assures her. "Just promise you'll throw me out when you get stick of having me around."

"Well, that's not going to happen," Uhura says immediately. She takes the seat next to Janice on the couch. 

"Listen, Uhura, I want to thank you. I know I've been a bit of a wet blanket lately --"

"Not at all!"

"No, I have," Janice persists. "And you've been terribly patient with me, and I just want to let you know that it means a lot."

"You're reacting to something upsetting, so please, don't apologize. I want you to take all the time you need to come to terms with it."

"Well, having you around and encouraging me has helped me more than I can say."

Uhura ducks her head and smiles. "I'm so glad! If it makes a difference, you're one of my favorite people on this ship, and I'd do anything I could to make you feel better."

She looks up to see Janice watching her, her blue eyes soft. 

"Uhura, would it be --" Janice murmurs. She's already leaning forward. 

"Oh, yes," Uhura whispers back, and they meet in the middle, kissing softly.

It wasn't at all what Uhura had planned, but really, it's a thousand times better. Janice's clean scent mixed with the ship's standard soap smells sweeter than any perfume, and her skin is softer than any rose.

***~*~*~***

The next day when her shift ends, Uhura spots Christine in one of the recreation rooms, chatting with Doctor M'Benga. There's no one else in sight, probably a temporary lull.

By the time Uhura fixes herself a cup of coffee and heads over to join them, Geoff is already making his excuses and leaving.

"Make sure you watch that caffeine intake," Christine says as Uhura takes a sip. "You should try herbal tea instead." She holds out her mug as an example. 

"Well, I usually don't have any coffee after breakfast. It's just today I'm a little tired --" 

At this Christine grins and leans in. "I was going to apologize for leaving early, but I bet you're not sorry I did, are you? Anyway, I thought it would do the trick, and I'm pleased to see it looks like I was right."

"You -- you thought," Uhura sputters. Of course now that she's looking back at it all, it seems ridiculously obvious and convenient, everyone except Janice leaving at the same time. "I don't know whether to give you a piece of my mind or hug you," she admits a moment later.

Just then Janice heads into the room. When she spots Uhura, her cheeks flush, and Uhura can't help but smile widely. Janice grins back and gestures at the beverage dispensers, indicating she'll be over as soon as she fetches herself something to drink. 

"I'll take the hug some other time," Christine says easily. She grabs her mug and waltzes out of the room, leaving the two of them alone together.

***~*~* the end *~*~***


End file.
